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Exotic Birds and Fruit is the seventh studio album by British progressive rock band Procol Harum. It was released in 1974. The cover artwork for the album is by Jakob Bogdani, a noted Hungarian artist whose paintings centered on exotic birds and fruit.
In Argentina, the album was titled Pájaros Y Frutas Exóticas (literally translated as "Birds and Exotic Fruit").
Collaborating again with producer Chris Thomas, Procol Harum recorded the album at George Martin's AIR Studios in London. According to singer/songwriter/piano player and bandleader Gary Brooker, the album was recorded in reaction to the two preceding albums which used extensive orchestration. Brooker stated, "We made the live album with an orchestra. We'd then taken the orchestra into the studio for 'Grand Hotel'...we'd had enough of orchestras".
The album features the song "Butterfly Boys", written about the founders of the band's record label at the time, Chrysalis. The band were unhappy with the terms of their contract and expressed that frustration in song.
Reception
Exotic Birds and Fruit met with a good critical reception but only rose to No. 86 on the Billboardalbum charts. In Denmark, it peaked at #9 upon release, and in early 1975 it re-entered the Top 20 peaking at #19. The album was preceded by the single release of the opening track, "Nothing but the Truth", backed with the single-only B-side track "Drunk Again".
2009 Salvo reissue
In 2009 Salvo reissued Procol Harum's entire discography on CD remastered by Nick Robbins. The reissue for Exotic Birds and Fruit included two bonus tracks selected by Brooker and Keith Reid. "Drunk Again", the B-side to the single "Nothing but the Truth", appeared on CD along with an alternate mix of "As Strong as Samson".
Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 241. ISBN0-646-11917-6.
Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN978-951-1-21053-5.
